Loving like Mr. Goodwell

OK ... so let me just admit right now that they new Mercy Me album has captivated me and has challenged me ... inspired me ... and just made my dance! (For real in my classroom after everyone had gone ... I just could not help it.) Anyway, there is a point to this that is beyond telling you how great this album is ... a point that hit me hard. A point not found in the song lyrics (this time) but rather in the writing found on the first page of the inside cover of the digital booklet ... which read:

Who is Mr. Lovewell? He's an idea. He's a movement. He's the hope that the little things can add up to big change. He's what the Bible already called us to do ... love one another. Look for the best in people. Give people a chance regardless of status, race or gender. Mr. Lovewell is the understanding that the gospel is for everyone. Some may receive it, some may reject it, but from where we are standing, all that should matter is that the Gospel applies to us all. Who are we to demand the outcome before we decide to contribute? Do we wait and tip the waitress only if she's done a great job? Or do we tip her even when she's having the worst day? That's what God's grace is ... unconditional. Grace leaves no room for "I've earned this" or "I deserve this." What a concept! To love no matter what!

And that, my friend, is Mr. Lovewell. Who knows ... maybe he'll rub off on a few people. Are you a Lovewell?

I wish we were able to chat live right now ... at the moment that you read this and ask you if you caught it like I did .. right between the eyes. Here is what hit me:

Who are we to demand the outcome before we decide to contribute? Do we wait and tip the waitress only if she's done a great job? Or do we tip her even when she's having the worst day?

How many times do I wait to see the outcome before I decide to contribute? How many times do I apply if ... then stipulations to the responses that God asks of me as His child? All the time.

Let's take the example they gave. I have had such bad service from a waitress that I left a penny to make a point. Ouch. Yes, her service was horrible ... but what was behind it? If she was that bad all the time, would she really be working there? Or ... was there something horrible that happened to her that day that she just couldn't bury deep enough that it didn't effect her performance. Maybe her husband walked out on her ... Maybe she lost a loved one ... Who knows. I never thought to look beyond her bad service, only to punish her for it.

As I sit and type this, example upon example keep flooding in. I will share a few.


"If I give this homeless man money, he'll probably buy drugs. So I will give him none."

"If this person would just manage their money better, they would be fine ... so maybe they will learn a lesson if they have to live without air for a few days."

"If I knew that ____ was truly sorry, I would call and forgive."

"If that person was nicer to me, I would invest more time in getting to know them."

"If I knew that this (fill in the blank) would help, I would do it."

How deady that way of thinking is. You see we can talk ourselves right out of doing things that we should do. We can fall into the trap of needing proof before we act, of making sharing grace conditional, of hiding behind expectations ... when God wants action. Am I free with grace? Do I expect people to earn it? or deserve it? Ouch. The sad part is that it does not only affect the people that I fail to offer it to ... it affects me as well. I miss out on the blessing of people seeing Christ's mercy in me. I miss out on:

The honest thanks of a person that needs help.

Helping someone see that God's love is bigger than whether we deserve it or not.

The gift of new beginnings ... instead of sad endings.

The opportunity to get to know others ... without their masks on.

The opportunity to plant seeds ... even if I don't ever find out if it helped.

Most tragically, I miss out on being a touchable, tangible picture of God's love and mercy in action. I miss out on being His hands and feet. I miss out on learning what grace really means. You see any teacher can tell you that people in general do not learn by being told ... they learn by doing.

Lisa